All's Fair in Love and War
by revivingophelia
Summary: It all started with a bet... and ended with something she never expected. Eventual Eve/CM Punk. Features the Bellas, Daniel Bryan, Cena, Ryder, and many others. Dec. 2011.
1. Chapter 1

Title: All's Fair in Love (and War)  
Author: Karen U/revivingophelia  
Pairing/Character: Eve/CM Punk (eventual), Zack Ryder, John Cena, the Bellas, Daniel Bryan, others  
Disclaimer: No one you recognize belongs to me  
Rating: R/M  
Summary: It all started with a bet... and ended with something she never expected.  
Spoilers: starts around Dec. 2011. This is set with story line being just that - story line.  
Warnings: language, adult situations, violence

Note: This fic? Not so nice to Cena or Ryder. Consider this fair warning.

Part One

He wasn't sure why, exactly, he'd decided to go out tonight. The bar scene wasn't really his thing - hence why he was sitting in a corner booth drinking a Coke (they didn't have Pepsi) while the rest of his coworkers that had wandered down to the bar were practically chugging down beer. Well, the guys were, anyway. He'd seen Nikki Bella earlier with Dolph Ziggler, and she'd been drinking something with an umbrella in it. Not that it really mattered.

Shaking his head, he took another drink of his Coke, his gaze moving over what he could see of the place. He'd grabbed a corner booth that was hidden in the shadows, and so far, it had been enough to keep people away from him. Most people probably didn't even realize the booth was taken, and even if someone did see him, the hooded sweatshirt he wore helped to conceal who he was... Though he supposed the hand tattoos would give him away if anyone got close enough to look. But so far, both fans and coworkers had stayed away, and he was glad for that. He wasn't in the mood for company, and he figured the main reason he'd ended up here was because he hadn't been able to sleep. Of course, the amount of caffeine he'd ingested since getting here probably meant he'd have even more trouble sleeping once he got back to his room.

Sighing softly, he leaned back further in the cushions of the bench seat of the booth, vaguely aware that the booth next to his - hidden from view by the high backs of the benches and the plants on top of them - was now occupied. The voices he heard made it clear that the booth was occupied by people that he worked with, and after vaguely entertaining the thought of at least saying hello, he pushed that thought away and instead slumped down in his seat, figuring the others would only see him if he left first, so his solitude was probably safe enough. And, given the loud voices he could hear from the booth, he was going to have ample opportunity to eavesdrop... Not really his thing, but once he heard what the men were talking about, well...

"Dude, she is, like, scorching hot," a voice that was fairly easily recognizable to the eavesdropper said. It was Zack Ryder's voice, if he wasn't mistaken... And the second voice that spoke made it obvious he was right. Those two always hung out together lately.

"No shit. She's the hottest girl in the company. The only way she could look better is out of her clothes instead of in them," John Cena said, and then a third voice spoke up, one that the man in the other booth couldn't quite place.

"Well, I doubt you'll ever see her like that. Even if the WWE started working with Playboy again or something, she'd be among the least likely to ever pose-"

"Dude, who's talking about posing? I'm talking up close and personal. I would love to tap that," Cena declared, and the third man let out a snort.

"Not likely," he said, or at least that's what it sounded like he said. He seemed to be the furthest away, and he was talking more quietly than the other two.

Cena let out a snort. "What? You doubt my abilities to get a woman?" he asked, and the still-unidentified man replied.

"When it comes to her? Yeah, I do."

Zack cut in. "And who's to say she'd go for you, anyway? I could get her. I'm going to be working with her," the man said, making it all too obvious who it was they were talking about: Eve Torres. And for the record? Odds were that the third guy - the one that doubted Cena's abilities - was the one that was right.

"You think you're the only one gonna be working with her? I am, too. And I can get her like that," Cena said, snapping his fingers for emphasis.

"You wanna make a bet?" Zack tossed back.

"With you? Sure," Cena replied, and it was then that the third guy tried to speak up.

"Guys, this is not a good idea-"

"Shut up. We're talking here," Cena interrupted him. "I bet that I can get Eve into bed before you do. And by into bed... I mean that I'll do her before you do."

"Guys," the third man tried again, clearly not thrilled, but Cena and Zack were apparently too intent on the prospect of a bet to pay attention to him.

"So the bet would be for sex. Not dating, taking her out to dinner. Actual sex. How would we prove it?" Zack wanted to know. "Are we just going to believe each other? Also... How much is the bet for?"

"I'd go with a thousand dollars," Cena said. "Whoever bangs Eve first gets a thousand dollars. As for proof? Bring a pair of her panties-"

"An asshole TSA agent going through her things at the airport could steal a pair of her panties," the third man interrupted, clearly irritated. "In fact, I think that might have actually happened to Kelly."

"And on top of that, how would we prove that they're hers?" Zack put in. "We should take a picture of her sleeping or something. Nothing graphic, just shoulders and up."

"You can't be serious-"

Cena interrupted whatever the third man was going to say. "Works for me. A thousand dollars. Whoever sleeps with her first wins. Proof is in the picture." He paused, then asked, "You want in?" Clearly, he was talking to the third man in the booth, and just as clearly, Cena hadn't noticed that the third man seemed to be against this idea.

"I have a girlfriend that I happen to love dearly-"

"Then that's a no. So it's just us," Cena said. "You ready to lose, Ryder?"

"In your dreams, man. That thousand dollars is mine. Who wants to bet Eve's a screamer?" he went on, and then the men changed the subject from the bet to other things, unaware that someone had listened in on their entire conversation.

Sitting in the back booth, still hidden from sight, CM Punk stared down at his tattooed hands, still not sure who the third man in the booth was, but figuring it didn't matter. After all, the bet was just between Cena and Ryder. He knew those two for sure. They were the ones that had made the bet... And now? Now he just had to figure out how in the hell to tell Eve.

And hope like hell that she believed him.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to those that have reviewed so far. Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

Part Two

Finding out the number of Eve's hotel room ended up being easier than he'd expected. All it had taken was a little white lie to a slightly inebriated Nikki Bella, and the diva had told him exactly where to find the other woman. Not even Dolph, whom Nikki had been with, looked suspicious. After all, he'd just said that Eve had hitched a ride with him after the show that night and accidentally left her cell phone in his rental car, and he wanted to get it back to her. Nikki had even said something to the effect that she was sure Eve would be missing her phone, since she always used the alarm on it as a backup in case she slept through her wakeup call. So Nikki not only believed him, which was good, but she sincerely thought that she was helping Eve out by telling him where to find her.

Perfect.

Now, he just had to hope that Eve actually listened to what he had to say and believed him.

Taking a deep breath, Punk lifted his hand to knock on the divas' hotel room door, frowning slightly as he realized that he didn't know if she would be alone or not. There was always the possibility that Eve was rooming with another one of the divas; he thought she traveled with Kelly sometimes, but he wasn't sure if the two divas roomed together or not. Hopefully not.

The door to the room slowly swung open, revealing Eve standing there in what he assumed were her pajamas, a look of confusion on the diva's face. "Punk? What are you doing here?"

"Can I talk to you? Alone?" he asked, and the diva bit her lip as she eyed him, maybe trying to figure out whether or not she should let him into her hotel room, but then she stepped back, still looking a little uncertain, but allowing him entrance anyway. He arched a brow as he realized that there were two beds in the room, and Eve shrugged.

"Technically, I'm rooming with Kelly. In reality? She's off somewhere with Cody Rhodes. I think," the diva said, closing the door behind him as he entered the room. She seemed a little self-conscious, and he wasn't sure if it was because of his presence in general or the fact that she was dressed for bed, and he sighed as he looked at her.

"Look, Eve, I'm sorry to just barge in on you like this-"

"How did you even know which room I was in?"

"Nikki Bella. She thinks that you hitched a ride with me after the show and left your cell phone in my car," he told her. "I figured that was innocent enough, and fairly believable."

Eve gave him a look. "Well, since I know that I did not, in fact, ride with you after the show - I hitched a ride with Kofi - and I know that my cell phone is right where it should be... I have to wonder why you felt the need to make up a story in order to find me. I also have to wonder what the real reason that you came here is."

He shoved his hands in his pockets, wondering why it was so hard for him to tell her now that he was face to face with her. He'd come here as quickly as he could once he'd found out the number of her hotel room, knowing he had to tell her what he'd overheard, but now that he was here... He supposed he didn't want to see the look on her face when he told her. After all, she probably thought that Zack and John were her friends. But friends didn't make bets about getting other friends into bed, and that was exactly what Zack Ryder and John Cena had done tonight. Geez, it was like a re-hash of an old WWE story line or something.

"I needed to tell you something. But now that I'm here... It's hard to tell you."

"Okay..."

Punk took a deep breath. "Look, you know I'm a blunt kind of guy, right?"

She nodded. "Right."

"Well, for some reason, I'm finding it hard to be blunt right now. But here's the deal... I was in the bar earlier tonight. I was in a corner booth and the people in the next booth didn't see me. But I heard every word they said. I recognized two of the three voices. I probably should have known who the third guy was, but I just couldn't place it. The two I did recognize were Cena and Ryder," he told her, and Eve bit her lip, then shrugged.

"Okay... You overheard one of Zack and John's conversations. What does that have to do about me?"

"It has everything to do with you. And for the record... Whoever the third guy was, he didn't sound too happy with either of them," Punk said, then took another deep breath, squaring his shoulders before he just went ahead and told her what he had heard. "They were talking about you. And they made a bet. A thousand dollars to the first one of them to sleep with you."

Eve looked at him blankly, the diva shaking her head. "You must have misheard. It... They wouldn't-"

"They did. John Cena and Zack Ryder made a bet about which one of them could sleep with you first. Apparently the winner is supposed to take a picture of you while you're sleeping," he told her, watching as Eve flinched at his words, the man sighing and taking a step forward... Only to have Eve take a step back from him, the diva shaking her head and lifting a hand to ward him off. "Eve..."

"This... I just... No. They wouldn't... They're my friends-"

"Crappy way to show it," he told her, stepping forward again, ignoring the fact that she was stepping back from him. His steps were larger than hers, and there was a wall behind her to stop her from going any further, so he reached her pretty quickly, putting his hands on her shoulders and looking her in the eye. "I'm sorry."

"You... You have to be wrong-"

"I wish I was. But I heard them. I know their voices, and Cena called Zack by name. I know it would probably be easier to believe that I'm lying to you, because then it means that two people you thought were your friends aren't making bets about you. But I'm not lying."

"Please leave," she managed to whisper, and since he could see the tears in her eyes, he nodded and stepped back.

"I'll go. And you can hate me. I can deal with that. But Eve, please ask yourself... What did I have to gain by coming here and telling you this?" he asked her, Punk watching as the first tear slipped down her cheek, the man heaving out a sigh and turning to leave, knowing that he'd had to tell her, hating that he'd upset her... But hating Zack Ryder and John Cena even more.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1. Thanks to those that have reviewed so far. :)

Part Three

She was trying desperately not to cry. Or possibly throw up.

Because CM Punk was right.

She hadn't wanted him to be. She had tried to come up with reasons for it to not be true, for it to all be a lie... But Punk's words to her had kept coming back, reminding her that the WWE champion had absolutely nothing to gain by telling her what he'd overheard. Nothing. And there was no reason for him to want to hurt her. They weren't the best of friends, they weren't insanely close, but they usually got along. She'd thought that he liked her well enough, and she'd thought he was friends with Zack and had no problems with Cena. So it made no sense that he would want to drive any sort of a wedge between them, but even so... She hadn't wanted to believe him. She'd wanted so badly for it to be a lie, or a misunderstanding. That would have been best. Because then Punk would have been trying to help, not hurt her, and Zack and John would be in the clear as well.

But if it was a misunderstanding, then she'd misunderstood it just as badly as CM Punk had.

Because she'd overheard them talking as well.

They hadn't seen her, hadn't heard her. The two men had been at the gym, working out early in the morning, not noticing that she was there as well. She'd gone early as well, earlier than either of them, because she hadn't been able to sleep the night before, CM Punk's words haunting her. And they hadn't seen her as she'd stood in the vending machine area to buy a bottle of water. They hadn't seen her, and they'd been talking, and she'd heard them mention a bet. The bet. The bet about her. Laughing about taking pictures of her and joking about what they'd do with the extra thousand bucks they'd be winning... Arguing good-naturedly about which one of them would win the money. Acting like she wasn't even a person. Like she didn't have feelings. Like it didn't matter that what they were doing would hurt her if she found out. Maybe they thought that they were too smart - or she was too stupid - to figure it out. She didn't know. She didn't care.

She just hated them both.

"Eve? Are you okay?"

The woman jerked at the sound of the voice, barely holding back a scream. She quickly looked up at the person that had spoken to her, feeling herself start to break as she saw CM Punk standing there with a look of concern on his face. Pressing her lips together, trying to keep herself from bursting into tears right then and there, she shook her head.

"I heard them," she managed to whisper. "I... You... You were right, and..."

"I wish I wasn't," he told her, and Eve couldn't help it, she burst into tears right then, not resisting at all as she felt CM Punk pull her toward him and wrap her up in his arms. He didn't seem to care that she was sweaty from her time in the gym, instead just holding her, then moving so that he could wrap his arm around her shoulders, starting to lead her away.

"Where are we..."

"My room. It's closer," Punk replied, and Eve wondered for a moment how he knew that before realizing that he had, after all, come to her room the night before to warn her about the bet. Of course he knew which room was closer to where they were at the moment. So instead of questioning him, she allowed him to lead her down the hallway, the diva fighting to keep from breaking down totally - and feeling like she was doing a lousy job of it - as he quickly pulled out his key card and let them into the room. It seemed he had a single room, which Eve found to be a relief because she wasn't ready to explain what was going on to someone else. Wiping at her eyes, she started to make her way over to the couch on shaky legs, the diva surprised when Punk made his way over and picked her up, then sat down on the couch with her on his lap.

"What are you..."

"Go ahead and cry if you need to. I figure you earned it," he told her, his arms wrapped around her as he sat there with her, and Eve let her head fall onto his shoulder, closing her eyes as she felt her shoulders begin to shake.

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. I wouldn't have wanted to believe me last night, either," Punk said, one of his hands moving up and down her back, his voice matter-of-fact, as if he wasn't the least bit bothered by the fact that he was being cried on by a coworker that had just spent the better part of an hour working out at the gym. She was a sweaty, crying mess, and he didn't seem to find it off-putting at all.

"I don't understand why they would do that."

"Because men are pigs."

"You're a man," Eve replied without thinking, and she felt as much as heard him laugh.

"Okay, so most men are pigs. And I probably have my moments, too."

"Have you ever made a bet that you could sleep with a woman, then said you were going to take pictures as proof?" she asked, and Punk heaved out a sigh.

"That would be a no."

"Did you ever joke about taking a few extra pictures of her naked to keep as souvenirs?" Eve questioned, and she could feel Punk tense at her words.

"What? They didn't... Last night they didn't say that. I mean, what I overheard was bad enough, but they said shoulders and up on the picture. Which is still disgusting if they did it without you knowing and since it would have been for a bet anyway, but..."

"Well, then I guess that was something new. I heard John joking about taking some for his 'private collection', then Zack said that he'd get there first and that maybe he'd show John some extra pictures when he wins the bet and... I hate them. Both of them. I'm not... I'm not a fucking bet. I'm not."

"I know you're not," Punk told her, his arms tightening around her, and Eve could feel the tension in his body. The anger. She knew that he wanted to go and do something to Cena and Ryder for what they were doing, for hurting her this way, and despite how upset she was, it was good to know that there was at least one guy out there that wasn't a total asshole.

"I want to hurt them," Eve whispered.

"So do I."

"I want to make them pay. I just don't know how."

"Give us some time, Eve. We'll think of something."


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks so everyone that has reviewed, favorited, or followed this one. :)

Disclaimer, etc, in part 1.

Part Four

She wasn't quite sure, actually, how long it was that she remained where she was, seated in CM Punk's lap with his arms wrapped around her. She'd cried for awhile, and he'd let her, the man not reacting at all like most of the men she knew would. Most men she knew freaked out at the sight of tears, and they would have been all too willing to let her go off on her own or push her at one of the other divas to cry it out. But not Punk. He'd just sat there quietly, his arms around her, one hand moving up and down her back and occasionally through her hair, the tension she felt in his body gradually relaxing as he fought back the desire to go and beat the hell out of Cena and Ryder.

Letting out a sigh, not really feeling like lifting her head from its place on Punk's shoulder, Eve finally spoke. "I'm sorry for crying all over you."

"I'm sorry you had a reason to. I wish... I wish I'd been wrong. I'm not sorry I told you the truth and... I'm really not sorry I overheard them talking, because you deserved to know the truth, and I can't be completely sure that, if someone else had been in my place last night... I can't be sure they would have told you."

"I know. A lot of guys wouldn't have. Hell, some of them would have threatened to, but agreed not to as long as they got to see the pictures," Eve said, the diva's hand tightening into a fist in the material of Punk's shirt as she spoke, the woman wincing and quickly letting go when she realized that her fingernails were also digging into his skin. Lifting her head from his shoulder, she cringed. "Sorry-"

"It's okay," he told her, and Eve sighed, carefully removing herself from his lap and rising to her feet. She'd been sitting in one place long enough that she was feeling a bit stiff, and the woman winced as she looked over at him.

"God, I'm sorry. Your legs are probably asleep by now-"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it," he told her, and Eve sighed, reaching up to rub at her cheeks.

"Do you care if I wash my face?" she asked, knowing the remnants of her crying spell were all too visible, and the man gestured with one hand toward the bathroom.

"Feel free," he replied, and the diva made her way toward the bathroom, glad she didn't have any makeup on - there hadn't been a point in it since she'd been going to the gym - the woman going to work at getting the tearstains off of her face. As she did so, Punk rose to his feet and made his way toward the mini-fridge in the room, grabbing a couple of bottles of water, then stepping into the bathroom, hopping up onto the vanity next to the sink and putting one of the bottles of water down for Eve. He opened his own bottle, taking a long drink, then looked over at her. "You said you want to hurt them. To make them pay."

Eve shrugged her shoulders, reaching over to grab an unused towel to wipe her face. "Wouldn't you?"

"Hell, yeah. I'm not even the person they made the bet over, and I want to hurt them. I wanted to hurt them last night, but... I thought the best way to go about it would be to make sure you knew. I didn't... If I'd confronted them, then told you... They would have worked out some denial. The bet would have been dead, I'm sure, since you would have been on the lookout for it, but... Would you have still trusted them? Would you have believed them? I mean... You needed to know what kind of people they are. That they weren't really your friends. Because if you didn't know that, and they did something later... You could have still ended up getting hurt. Maybe even worse than they've hurt you now."

The diva nodded, looking at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were still red and a bit puffy from crying, but her face looked better. The tears were gone. She was still sweaty and gross, though, but she couldn't do anything about that until she was back in her hotel room and could shower and change clothes. "I know. As much as it hurts... I needed to know what they really think of me. That I'm just... Some piece of ass, I guess."

"Eve, you are not-"

"I-"

"Those two are assholes," Punk told her, reaching out and taking off the cap of the bottle of water he'd brought for her since she didn't seem about to do it. He handed her the open bottle, arching a brow at her until she took a drink. "You cried a lot. You probably need the water," he said, and Eve made a sound that was half-laugh, half-sob. She shook her head.

"I suppose you're right. Punk, I-"

"Please don't say you're sorry again. I'm the one that made the decision to get involved in this."

"You made the decision to do the right thing. And I've thanked you so well for it."

"I didn't tell you for the gratitude. I told you because it was the right thing to do," Punk told her, then made a face as he took another drink of water. "And now I sound like one of those people I make fun of."

"Well, I appreciate it. Even if I haven't shown it very well," the diva said, turning to face him, and Punk reached out, briefly taking her chin in his hand.

"You've shown it just fine. As I said... I didn't expect thanks. I would, however, thoroughly enjoy being in on whatever revenge you seek out against them," the wrestler told her, lightly tapping his fingers against her cheek before dropping his hand, and Eve frowned.

"I haven't even thought about revenge. I just know I want it. Damn it, I have to work with these guys-"

"Kane will be around, though. He's not a dickhead. So there's that. And maybe... Maybe we can come up with something else," Punk told her, a frown on his face as he thought about it. After a moment, he shook his head. "We'll come up with something. Besides, you know, me punching them in the face while you kick them in the balls. Though I think that does hold a certain appeal."

"It really kind of does," Eve mused, then looked over at him with a sigh. "I should go. I'm a mess and I need to put real clothes on instead of a sports bra and shorts and... I need a shower. But... I'll talk to you later?"

He nodded. "Count on it."


	5. Chapter 5

disclaimer, etc., in part 1. Thanks to all that have reviewed, followed, or favorited this one. :)

Part Five

Eve pushed a hand through her hair, the woman wishing more than anything that she could just curl up in bed and pull the covers over her head... But she knew that she couldn't. First of all, trying to hide from the world would just be taking the easy way out, and that wasn't the way she did things. On top of that, it just simply wasn't possible. She needed to get to the next town for that night's live event... Something that would be repeated tomorrow, then again the next day for RAW. The knowledge that she had to get through three more days before she could go home twisted at her stomach, but the woman told herself she could manage it. She knew the truth now, and even if she didn't know how to get back at John and Zack just yet, she was at least aware of what they had happened. She wasn't going to fall into their trap and become a victim of their little game.

Taking a deep breath, the diva picked up her bags and took one last glance around the room, checking to make sure she hadn't left anything before she slipped out of the room and into the hallway, preparing to head down and check out of the hotel. Kelly had already taken off, the woman grabbing her things and heading back to Cody's room and leaving a note for Eve while the other woman had been at the gym... Or maybe she'd been in Punk's room by the time Kelly had actually stopped by; Eve didn't really know. She did know, however, that Kelly leaving left her with a need to get a ride to the next show. She usually rode from show to show with either Kelly or the Bellas, typically not renting a car herself but always chipping in for gas and the price of the rental, which made the others more than willing to let her tag along with them. It gave them more company and made the travel a little cheaper. She'd texted Brie earlier to see if she could hitch a ride with her and Nikki this time, and the woman had replied back with a smiley face, which was just as good as a 'yes'. She figured that, once she got herself checked out, she could either head up to the Bellas room or wait in the lobby for them. With that thought in her mind, the diva made quick work of checking out of the hotel room that she'd been supposed to share with Kelly the night before... Not that Kelly had actually spent much time in it at all, instead staying with Cody, but at least the blonde had still paid her share.

Sighing, the diva signed the credit card slip, then stepped back from the counter, grabbing her bags as she did so... Freezing when she looked up and saw the very last person she wanted to see. Well, okay. He was one of the last *two* people she wanted to see.

"Eve! There you are," John Cena said with a grin, looking like a guy without a care in the world instead of like a guy that had made a bet about sleeping with her and taking pictures to prove it.

"Here I am," the diva replied, fighting to keep her voice steady. If she wanted to find a way to get revenge, she needed to be careful. She couldn't let him know that she knew what he had planned. What he and Zack both had planned. The two-faced bastards. She forced a smile. "What can I do for you?"

Maybe it was just her imagination, but she thought she saw a brief smirk cross Cena's expression, like maybe he was thinking of exactly what it was he'd like her to do for him. Oh, she wanted to kick him in the nuts right now.

"Well, actually, I was just wondering if you had a ride to the next show-"

"She does," another voice said, Eve and Cena both turning their heads to find the person standing there. And while Eve had requested a lift from Brie and Nikki, it wasn't either of the twins that was standing there. It was CM Punk, the man casually crossing the lobby to where Eve stood, reaching out to take one of her bags from her as he did so. She allowed it, the diva trying not to look as confused as she felt. Cena, for his part, looked confused enough for the both of them.

"She does? But-"

"I ran into her last night and asked if she wanted to ride with me. I'd seen Kelly with Cody before and thought they might be riding together, and I know that Dolph sometimes rides with the Bellas so that car could end up pretty full. So I asked Eve if she wanted to ride with me. She said yes." He looked over at her. "I'm not quite ready to check out yet, but you can hang out in my room while I finish getting my things together. We'll take your stuff to the car first, though. Get it taken care of."

"That sounds great," Eve replied, the smile that she sent Punk's way far more real than the one she had given Cena, the diva very aware of John's eyes on them as Punk led her away, the WWE champion's arm sliding around her waist as he guided her through the doors and outside, the man leading her to a rental car parked about a dozen or so places from the front door.

"You okay?" he asked as he dropped his hand from her waist to pull the keys out of his pocket, pushing the button to pop the trunk.

"I'm fine. I just need to text Brie and let her know I have another ride. I'd asked if I could ride with her and Nikki earlier, so I need to let her know about the change of plans. That is... If you're okay with me riding with you-"

"I wouldn't have offered otherwise. But if you would rather ride with the twins, I won't be offended."

"But Cena thinks I'm riding with you," she said, and Punk nodded as he began loading her things in the trunk of his rental car.

"That he does. And from the look on his face when I said it, he wasn't happy about it."

"I didn't even notice."

"Trust me. He wasn't happy to hear that you were riding with me. Also wasn't happy when I put my arm around you," Punk told her, turning to face her more fully. "He wanted to punch me in the face. I could see it. Funny thing is, I wouldn't have minded it, because it would have given me an excuse to punch him back."

"Punk-"

"Just the way I feel." He smiled slightly. "You know... Nikki thinks you rode with me back to the hotel last night. It's what I told her. And now... You're going to be texting Brie to tell her you're riding with me to the next show. They may think..."

"That something's going on between us," Eve finished for him. "And they kind of have big mouths. People are going to think..."

"Doesn't bother me if it doesn't bother you," he told her. "Besides... it may help us in the end. In getting at Cena and Zack."

"Punk, you don't have to-"

"Oh, but I want to."


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

Part Six

Sitting back in the driver's seat, CM Punk sent a look at the woman that was next to him. "You ready?" he asked, and Eve arched a brow at him.

"Why? Are you some sort of crazy driver? Do I need to prepare myself-"

"Hey, I'm a perfectly good driver, thank you very much. And since I know you've ridden between shows with Kelly before... I can assure you that you will feel much safer with me than you would with her. I've seen the way that girl drives. She thinks traffic signs are suggestions."

"And that you should always add an extra fifteen miles per hour to any posted speed limit," Eve added, shaking her head slightly at that. She knew all too well the way Kelly liked to drive... Which was why Eve was more likely to try and catch a ride with the twins than she was the blonde diva. "If you drive anywhere close to the way Kelly drives, I'll get out right now-"

"You're safe with me, I promise. The last time I got a ticket, Kelly probably didn't even have a license yet," he responded as he put the rental car in reverse, pulling out of the parking spot and heading for the exit. "Are you doing okay? I mean... The last twelve hours or so had to suck for you-"

"It would suck worse if I didn't know the truth," the woman responded, heaving out a sigh, as she let her head fall back against the seat. "I'd much rather know now than... The idea that one of them would go that far for a bet. That they would..."

Punk reached out to her, covering one of her hands with one of his own. "I'm sorry, Eve. I really am. They're assholes that don't deserve to be anywhere near you. And if it makes you feel better, when I saw Cena trying to get you to ride with him to the next show... I wanted to punch the son of a bitch in the face. The only thing that made me hold back was the fact that I wasn't sure you would want me to do it. Of course, if he'd punched me like he looked like he wanted to when I put my arm around you... Well, I would have punched him whether you wanted me to or not."

"I want them to pay. I know I said that earlier, in your hotel room, but... I thought maybe it was the shock of it talking, since I'd just heard them right before that, but... The more I think about it. They hurt me. I want to hurt them. I want to screw up their plans, and I want them to think twice before they ever come up with some sick bet like that again. Because it is sick. It's like... I'm not even a person to them and..." She closed her eyes, heaving out a breath. "I'm ranting."

"You're entitled. You thought they were your friends. Hell, I thought I knew them, and I didn't see this coming. I'm not going to say I haven't heard some stuff about Cena's past before, but... I never thought he'd try to pull something on one of the divas... Especially you. He always acted like you were his favorite diva-"

"I guess I am. I mean... I'm the one he wants to fuck, right?" Eve spat out, the words making Punk flinch. Before today, he wasn't sure that, in all the time he'd known her, he'd ever actually heard Eve Torres drop an f-bomb. She was usually far too calm and controlled and way too polite for that... And now, he'd heard her say it at least twice. Earlier in his hotel room, and now. Of course, before this morning, he'd never had Eve sitting in his lap crying her eyes out, either, nor had he ever seen Eve lose it like that. Not that she didn't have a damned good reason, it was just... Something he'd never seen from her. He supposed this was a day of firsts.

"Eve..."

"It's the word for it, don't you think? It's about a bet. Obviously he doesn't want to make love to me, because there's absolutely no love. If he could make that bet, it just shows he doesn't care about me at all. And 'having sex' isn't the right phrase, either. Too nice. It's about a bet. 'Fuck' seems the most appropriate word for it."

"I'm sorry."

"You're not the one making bets," Eve tossed back, then sighed reaching up to cover her face with her hands. "Sorry. I'm being a bitch. And probably saying the same thing over and over again, too. I can barely remember what I said this morning."

"Well, you were upset, and understandably so," Punk replied, then slanted a look over at the diva. "What did the Bellas say when you texted them and said you didn't need a ride anymore?" he asked, figuring that was a safer subject than Cena and Zack and that stupid freaking bet, and when Eve lowered her hands from her face and her shoulders seemed to relax, he decided that the change of subject was definitely a good idea.

She shrugged. "They were fine with it. Of course, they wanted to know who I was riding with instead because they knew it wasn't Kelly... Apparently they'd run into Kelly and Cody earlier and they'd been about to head out, so... They know I'm with you."

"They could have found that out easily, anyway," Punk reminded her. "I mean... Cena knows you're with me," he said, then flinched slightly as he realized that he'd once again brought up the person he'd been trying to veer the conversation away from. "So, uh, what did they say when you said you were with me?"

"Nikki wants to know how long it's been going on," the diva replied, giving him a wry smile. "Apparently, your little fib to get my room number last night, as well as the fact that I'm with you today... Well, now they think there's something going on between us. Which we kind of expected. Of course, if Nikki used her brain, she'd realize that if there was something going on, then you would have already known my room number."

"Not if we were trying to keep things quiet and you were supposed to text me with your room number or something. She thinks I had your phone. You couldn't have texted me if you didn't have it," he reminded her. "Face it, Eve... They probably think we're going to stop at some secluded place and go at it in the backseat of the car or something sometime today." He slanted a look the woman's way, frowning as he thought about what was going on with her. He knew the Bellas had big mouths, and he wasn't sure how she would feel if they started a rumor that the two of them were together. It didn't bother him, but that didn't mean she was okay with it. "Eve, if the Bellas start talking..."

"About the two of us?" The diva shrugged. "You're not in on the bet, right?"

"No! Of course not."

"And we're not really having dirty sex in the backseat of a car, right?" she continued, and he shook his head.

"No. I'm pretty sure I would definitely remember if we were doing that," he replied, and Eve shrugged.

"I'd rather have the two of them gossiping about me being with you and it not being true than... Well, what could have happened if you hadn't told me about Zack and John's bet. Of course... It's not really fair to you, since all you were trying to do is help me, and now the Bellas are probably spreading rumors, not just about me, but about you, too."

"Does it matter?"

"What?"

"Does it matter what they say about us? If we really know the truth?" he asked, and Eve looked over at him, then shook her head.

"No, I guess it doesn't."

"Besides that, it could work in our favor."

"How? By getting Cena and Ryder to back off?"

"There's that. Plus it gives me one hell of an excuse to punch Zack or John in the face if I catch them hitting on you."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1. Thanks to all that have reviewed/favorited/followed this one. :-)

Part Seven

The car ride was a quiet one. Aside from the first few minutes when they'd been talking to one another, Eve had been incredibly quiet, not complaining about the music that he'd chosen or even seeming to notice it. In fact, she seemed to be spending a lot of time staring out of the side window, and given the look he'd seen on her face at one point, he kind of thought that she might be mentally coming up with all sorts of ways that she'd like to make John Cena and Zack Ryder pay for making a bet about her. Not that he could blame her. He wanted to beat the crap out of them, too, and the bet wasn't even about him. Thankfully.

Clearing his throat, CM Punk reached out, lowering the volume of the music to a point at which they could actually talk without raising their voices. As he did so, he saw Eve briefly glance over at him, so he knew she was paying attention and not just staring off into space thinking about revenge fantasies.

"You know, I've been thinking..."

"That could be dangerous," the diva stated, turning to look at him as she spoke, the smile curving her lips softening the words. He smirked at her.

"Yeah, it usually is dangerous. And you can feel free to get mad at me for suggesting this, but... It's just a thought I had."

"What is it?"

"We already have to figure that the Bellas are going to spread rumors about there maybe being something between us. They know you rode with me today - hell, even Cena knows that - and they know I was looking for you last night. They think I had your phone, not that I was looking for you to... Well, tell you that Cena and Ryder are assholes. You said yourself that when you texted to say that you were riding with me today, Nikki wanted to know how long something's been going on between us."

"She was just jumping to conclusions. And she'll start rumors-"

"Which I already said I was fine with. I was just thinking... What if we help the rumors along?" he asked, and Eve turned to look at him again, the woman blinking in surprise.

"Excuse me? What are you... What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. We could help the rumors along. Don't deny them. Or only do so half-heartedly. Make sure we're seen together. I mean, it's not exactly a hardship for me to hang out with you. We can ride together between shows more often, we can go out to eat together. Basically, we could pretend to be dating. Or at least starting to date," he said, and Eve just stared at him for a moment. "It's just a suggestion."

"I... Why would you offer that?"

He shrugged. "Like I said, spending time with you isn't a hardship. You're smart, you're funny, and you're definitely easy on the eyes. I mean, face it. You're gorgeous."

"Punk-"

"Oh, like you don't know it," he said, shaking his head. "You're beautiful."

Eve shook her head. "I have too prominent of a chin, and I'm a far cry from the blonde and blue-eyed dream girls," she told him, pushing a hand through her hair. "On top of that, I'm five-foot-eight, which means if a guy isn't well over six feet tall or very secure in himself, he hates it when I wear high heels."

"First of all, I see nothing wrong with your chin. Second, who gives a damn if you're not blonde and blue-eyed? That just gets boring. You're a green-eyed brunette, and you look damned good with it. The fact that you're half Nicaruagan and have those green eyes kind of makes you exotic-looking, which is hot. And any idiot that is so insecure that he can't handle it if your high heels make you as tall as him isn't worth your time," he told her, shrugging when she just stared at him. "You know me, Eve. I speak my mind. I'm not feeding you a line. And I know this is a bad thing to say, but... Ryder and Cena wouldn't have chosen you if they didn't think you were gorgeous. Or hot. Whatever."

She arched a brow. "You're right. It is a bad thing to say," the woman declared, crossing her arms over her chest as she spoke... Her eyes widening in surprise when Punk took the next exit, which just happened to be some sort of historical site. "What? We're site-seeing now?"

"No. I just want to be able to look at you when I'm talking to you," he said as he pulled into a parking spot, putting the car in park and setting the brake before turning to her. He reached out and put his hands on her arms, pulling them down so they were no longer crossed defensively over her chest. "I'm not in any way, shape, or form condoning what Ryder and Cena are doing. I wouldn't have told you the truth about them if I thought it was okay. You know I don't think it's okay. I want them to pay for what they did. I was only saying..."

"That they wouldn't have made the bet if they weren't physically attracted to me," Eve said quietly, and he nodded.

"That's right. I'm not saying the fact that you're beautiful makes it okay. It doesn't. They're assholes, Eve. I know it. Okay? What they're doing is wrong. I just... You have no reason to feel that your looks are somehow less than any other woman. No offense to Kelly, but I'd take your looks and smarts over someone like her any day. Got it?" he asked and, after a moment, she nodded.

"Got it."

"Good. And just so you know... Me saying that maybe we should play up the rumors that the Bellas are sure to start was not me hitting on you. Because trust me, I would make it very obvious if I were actually hitting on you."

"Punk-"

"Well, I would. But I do want you to think about it. If John and Zack think you're involved with someone else - someone like me that won't put up with any shit from them or anyone else - well... They may back off and declare the bet a lost cause."

"Or they may just see it as more of a challenge," Eve said, and Punk heaved out a sigh.

"I'm not going to deny the possibility of that. Cena is the type... He likes bets. He likes challenges. And as shitty as it is... He's looking at you as a challenge right now. It's not fair, it's not right, but it's what's going on. So I could be a road block. Neither of us are involved with anyone right now, and haven't been for awhile, so we wouldn't be hurting anyone. No one would have to know the truth but us," he said, meeting her eyes, and Eve took a deep breath.

"I'll think about it," she said, and he nodded.

"Okay. You do that. Just let me know what you decide."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1. Thanks to those that have reviewed/favorited/followed this one. :)

Part Eight

"Hey, man."

CM Punk looked up at the sound of the voice, momentarily surprised to hear it... Then shaking his head slightly as he realized the reason the other person was there. Due to a nasty snowstorm where the SmackDown roster was supposed to be this weekend, those shows had ended up having to be cancelled, so several members of the SmackDown roster had been added to the RAW live events' card. Despite the fact that he'd known all of that before, the events of the past eighteen hours or so had caused it to slip his mind.

"Hey," the WWE champion replied with a nod as he looked over at Daniel Bryan. "What's up?"

"I feel like maybe I should be asking you that," Daniel replied, frowning slightly as he looked over at Punk. "I saw you earlier, when you got here. Got to say I was kind of surprised to see who you arrived with."

Punk shrugged, knowing that Daniel Bryan probably wasn't the only person in the company that had been surprised to see him arrive with Eve in the passenger seat... Well, if much of anyone else had seen then, that is. "She's a friend. It's no big thing," he stated, then rolled his eyes as he saw the look on his friend's face. "What?"

"Nothing, just... I'm kind of curious about what's going on, since Brie mentioned that last night you were looking for Eve and asked Nikki and Dolph where she was... Something about needing to give Eve her phone back because she'd left it in your rental car after hitching a ride back to the hotel with you."

Punk snorted. "Yeah, so?"

"So... I'm almost certain I saw Eve getting into a car with Kofi Kingston last night after the show. They didn't feel like going out to eat, so they headed back. Just... Kind of made me wonder. Especially since Brie and Nikki seemed convinced that there's something going on between you and Eve."

The WWE champion shifted slightly, suddenly very uncomfortable, not sure how Eve would want him to play this. After all, while they both knew that Brie and Nikki were gossips, Eve hadn't made the decision yet about whether or not they were going to go with the rumors and actually pretend to have something going on. Arching a brow, he looked over at Daniel. "So... Since when have you been hanging around Nikki and Brie enough to get their latest attempts at gossip?" he finally asked, trying to turn it back on his friend a bit, and he realized with some surprise that he'd actually hit a nerve when he saw the way that Bryan shifted uncomfortably at his words. "Wait a minute... Is something going on with you and Brie?" he questioned, knowing that there couldn't be anything with him and Nikki. Nikki Bella was, after all, involved with Dolph Ziggler - everyone knew it - and Daniel Bryan was not the type to go after a woman that was already involved with someone else... Which just left Brie for him to suddenly look so shifty about.

Daniel crossed his arms over his chest in a purely defensive gesture that Punk found more than a little amusing. "I asked you about Eve first."

"And then you set yourself up by making it clear you've been spending time with a Bella twin," Punk replied, then shrugged, frowning as a sudden thought came to him. "Did you tell Brie and Nikki that you'd seen Eve hitch a ride with Kofi last night?" he asked, and his friend shook his head.

"No. I figured you had a reason to lie. And I know you lied because I know what I saw. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't get you and Kofi mixed up. We all know he's far better-looking than you are," Daniel said, and Punk automatically lifted a hand, flipping the bird at his friend.

"Cute. Jackass," Punk stated, then sighed, leaning back against the wall, his head falling against the surface with a soft thud. "Look, I needed to talk to Eve last night, so I may have fibbed a little. It didn't hurt anybody, and it was important that I talk to her."

"Why is that?"

"Because there was something that she needed to know that I couldn't just let go. It couldn't wait. I saw Nikki and Dolph, and I knew that Nikki was likely to know Eve's room number, so I asked. And I figured it would be best if I had some sort of a reason why. I'm guessing the reason Brie wasn't with them is because she was with you."

Daniel rolled his eyes at the final pointed comment. "So you found out where Eve was rooming. Because you had to tell her something. And then this morning, minutes after she'd asked if she could ride with Nikki and Brie, she texted back and said she was riding with you instead."

"Yeah, well, if you and Dolph were with the twins, it's probably a good thing that she rode with me instead, isn't it?" He shrugged. "Would have been a bit crowded in that car."

"We had a van, and Eve would have been perfectly welcome to ride with us. She's a cool lady."

"That she is," Punk muttered, all too aware of the frown on his old friend's face. Apparently, something in his tone had tipped Daniel off to... something.

"What's going on?" Daniel wanted to know. "Don't give me crap, Punk. Is something... Is Eve okay?"

"Wow, jumping to conclusions there. She's fine."

"You found something out last night that you couldn't wait until morning to tell her, so you went looking for her, and then... You somehow ended up with her again this morning and asked her to ride with you. And she took you up on it. So what gives?"

"Let's just say I'm helping her out with something," the WWE champion said, and Daniel let out a snort.

"No, that's not in any way cryptic and annoying."

"Well, it's all you're going to get. I'm not going into anything because it's not my place. And if you're worried about Eve, just know... I'm going to make sure she's okay," Punk said, looking over at the shorter man. "I'm not telling you anything unless she gives the okay for it. That's just the way it goes."

Daniel nodded. "I can understand that. But if you need any help, man... You know where to find me," he said, and while Punk appreciated the thought, he couldn't help but smirk at the other man.

"Apparently I do. In the bed of Brie Bella," he said, and Daniel gave him a glare that really wasn't all that effective.

"Oh, go to hell."

"Yeah, I'll save you a seat."


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

Part Nine

"You wanna wrestle?"

Eve snorted at the words that were said in an oh-so-suggestive tone, the diva arching a brow as she looked over her shoulder at the approaching Bella twin. Brie Bella, actually. She'd always been good at telling the two women apart, better than most of the rest of the roster.

"You're such a freak," Eve said with a shake of her head, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders just because of the approach of her friend.

Brie smirked at her. "Yeah, well, some guys like a freak. At least in bed," she replied, laughing when Eve rolled her eyes. "Anyway... I saw the match listing tonight, and they're making the most of having so many of us here and all of that. You, my dear, are teaming up with Kelly to take on me and Nikki with Kaitlyn as the special guest referee. She gets to catch me and Nikki trying twin magic. You and Kelly win. Surprise, surprise. Although it is being heavily suggested that you get the pin and the win after a moonsault, so there's that. So, as I said... you wanna wrestle?"

Eve smirked. "It's better than sitting in the back and doing nothing," the woman replied, pushing her hair back from her face, waiting for Brie to bring up the one subject that she knew the other diva wanted to broach... And knowing Brie wouldn't be able to resist it. She loved the Bellas, but they were definitely gossips. They just wouldn't be Nikki and Brie if they didn't dig for the dirt. She didn't really hold it against them.

"True enough," Brie replied, then tilted her head to the side as she looked at her friend. "So... What's the deal with you and the WWE champion? You know... one CM Punk. Real name Phil Brooks. Has a bunch of tattoos and a lip piercing?"

"I know who CM Punk is," Eve replied, her tone dry. Brie smirked at her.

"I'm sure you do. Since you've been spending so much time with him and all. I mean, last night you rode with him, then again today, and he just had to search you out last night to return your phone-"

"Because he figured I would need it," Eve broke in, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. She knew that she and Punk had discussed playing up the rumors that the Bellas were sure to start, but seriously? All she'd done was ride with him between shows... Granted, the Bellas thought that he had given her a ride back to the hotel after the show the night before, too, but really... It was nothing. If they'd known that she'd ridden with Kofi from the arena the night before, they wouldn't be jumping to conclusions about the two of them, would they? No. Though that was likely because Kofi was simply known as the nice guy who was friends with anyone than because of anything else. If she'd caught a ride with Kane or the Big Show, it would have been the same thing... Because they were both nice guys, as well as being fairly protective of the divas. But catch a ride with CM Punk...

"Maybe he thought you would need it to call him..."

"And maybe he thought I would need it to back-up my alarm clock or make a phone call to someone else. Or check my email or something. He returned my phone, then offered to let me ride with him here tonight," Eve said, then gave an exasperated sigh at the other woman's knowing look. "Brie, honey, if there was something going on, wouldn't I have already had plans to ride with him instead of texting you and Nikki to see if I could ride with you?"

Brie blinked at that, frowning a bit, and apparently knowing that Eve had a point. "Well... Okay, so you weren't together all night or something, because he would have stopped you from texting to ask us for a ride if you were, but... Clearly, you saw each other this morning."

"We did, and he made the offer."

"And you took him up on it. Instead of telling him that you already had a ride, that you were riding with me and Nikki and Dolph and Daniel, you took him up on the offer."

"Less crowded vehicle, and I got to avoid being poked and prodded about my non-existent love life for hours on end... And wait a minute. Did you say Daniel? As in Daniel Bryan?" Eve questioned, finally registering that Brie's run-down had included the unexpected name, and she arched a brow as Brie averted her gaze, the diva unable to hide her smile. Eve smiled at her. "Oh really? And when did this happen?"

The other diva shrugged. "It's kind of a recent thing," Brie said, trying to look hesitant about it, but Eve knew that the other woman was just dying to tell her all about it. It was just the way Brie was. Very open about things... Sometimes a little too open, which would probably make for some interesting situations if she and Daniel got serious. Hopefully the guy - whom Eve had always thought seemed nice - knew what he was getting into by dating Brie Bella.

"I'm sure it is. Otherwise I would have heard all about it by now. And I'm sure I will be hearing all about it quite soon. Like... possibly right now?" Eve prompted, and Brie made a face at her.

"No fair. You expect me to spill all about me and Daniel, but you won't tell me anything about you and CM Punk," the woman said with a pout, and Eve arched a brow at her.

"That's because I'm a private person, and you just love to tell all your tales," the diva countered, all too aware that she hadn't denied anything between herself and Punk that time... Partly because she knew all too well that protesting too much could just make things worse.

"Well there is that," Brie conceded with a smile. "Of course, if you want to tell me everything-"

"There's nothing to tell... However, I'm sure you have plenty to tell," Eve stated, noting out of the corner of her eye that John Cena was headed down the hallway... And had apparently just spotted them. Quickly, she put an arm around Brie, turning away in what she hoped was a casual motion. "Come on. We have a match to get ready for. And you can tell me all about the adventures of Brie and D-Bry while we're changing."

Brie grinned as she allowed Eve to lead her down the hallway. "Oh, trust me, Evie. It will take longer than that to tell *all* of our adventures..."

"I'm sure it will."


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1. Thanks to everyone still reading this one.

* * *

Part Ten

Eve pushed her hair back from her face as she, Kelly, and Kaitlyn made it backstage after the divas' match for the night, Kaitlyn dressed in shorts and a modified referee's shirt for her role as the special guest referee for that night's match.

"That was kind of fun, actually," the young diva said, smiling as she spoke. "Being in charge and all. Plus, you know, I totally got to throw one of the Bellas out of the ring," Kaitlyn said, referring to the way she'd taken care of things when the Bellas had tried 'twin magic'.

"Yes, I'm sure Nikki was thrilled about that," Kelly said dryly, and Kaitlyn shrugged her shoulders.

"She totally said I could when the match was booked," the younger woman replied, the trio of divas making their way down the hallway. Nikki and Brie had already made it to the back, and they were supposed to meet them in the women's locker room to make sure everyone was okay after the match. Of course, everything had pretty much gone off according to plan, and while the Bellas had acted like they were in pain as they made their way to the back, odds were that they were perfectly fine.

"Hey, Eve! Eve, wait up!" a new voice called out and, while Kaitlyn seemed to pick up on the 'please save me' look that the tall brunette was suddenly sending the other divas, Kelly seemed oblivious, instead giving her a 'go get 'em' smile and tugging Kaitlyn away.

"We'll just be going now," the blonde woman said, obviously not picking up on the fact that Eve wanted her to do no such thing, but before Eve could find an excuse to go with them, Kelly had dragged Kaitlyn away, leaving Eve alone... With Zack Ryder.

Just looking at him made her want to kick him in the nuts.

"What do you want?" the woman asked, unable to stop her voice from being flat as she looked at him, crossing her arms over her chest in what was undoubtedly a defensive gesture. Zack didn't seem to notice, actually taking a step toward her and looking almost like he was going to try to hug her, but Eve quickly stepped back, moving to the side a bit. Maybe she wasn't going to confess that she knew about his stupid fucking bet with Cena just yet, but there was no way in hell she was going to let the jerk touch her.

Zack frowned, then seemed to shrug her reaction off. He probably thought she just had PMS or something. Or that she didn't want him to touch her when she was sweaty from a match. The thought that she didn't want him to touch her because he was a total asshole probably never crossed his mind.

"That was a great match out there. You were really good."

"Well, it was a group effort. All four of us... Five, if you count the special guest referee, and she really brought something to the match, too, so... Kaitlyn definitely should be counted. Anything else? Because I'd like to get back to the divas' locker room."

He frowned slightly, then smirked, stepping closer to her. Eve steeled herself slightly, barely managing to keep from taking a step back. "Well, I was thinking that... Maybe we could go out and celebrate. Just us."

"Celebrate what? It was a match at a house show. Nothing to celebrate," Eve replied, the woman able to see the flicker of frustration on Zack's face before he schooled his expression back to the happy guy he was trying to be. Clearly, this particular conversation was not going how he expected it to go. She wondered if he knew about Cena offering her a ride this morning and her turning it down to ride with Punk instead. She didn't figure Cena would confess what had happened, not to Zack anyway, but she wouldn't be too surprised if he knew about it and thought it meant he was somehow already a step ahead with the whole bet thing.

"Well, that doesn't mean we can't still go out. I mean, we don't really need a reason," Zack tried again, but Eve wasn't really paying too much attention to him right now as she spotted someone else coming toward them. Not CM Punk - unfortunately - but instead Daniel Bryan, the man ending a conversation he'd been having with his on-screen girlfriend AJ - probably going over any spots she had at ringside for his match that night - the man making his way over to where Eve and Zack stood.

"Eve, glad I spotted you. I didn't get a chance to ask earlier... You and Punk *are* coming out with me and Brie after the show, aren't you?" he questioned, causing Eve to blink in surprise... The diva quickly trying to cover up the shock she knew was likely on her face, instead smiling at the man. She had no idea how much he knew, but he clearly knew something was going on.

"We haven't really had much of a chance to talk about it yet. Are Nikki and Dolph going, too?" she asked, shifting a little closer to the man but trying not to make it too obvious. Personally, she'd prefer it if Daniel Bryan was standing between her and Zack Ryder, but the best she could do at the moment was shift so that she was a little closer to Daniel than she was to Zack. At least Daniel was here now... and apparently more than ready to help her get away somewhat gracefully.

"Not sure," Daniel replied, then offered his arm to her, a gesture that drew a smile to Eve's lips. A real one this time. "Why don't I walk you back to the divas' locker room and we can figure things out?"

"What about AJ?" Zack interjected a bit rudely, clearly not happy to have this moment interrupted... And even more unhappy to hear Punk and Eve's names linked as if it were a natural grouping. As if Daniel actually thought they were together.

"She already knows her spots for the match tonight. She was going to go and find Big Show," Daniel replied, and a quick glance to where AJ had been moments earlier showed that the diva was indeed off somewhere else by now. Daniel turned back to Eve, giving her the slightest of smiles, offering his arm again. "Shall we?"

"We shall," she replied with a smile, hooking her arm through Daniel's, not sure exactly how much it was that the man knew - or how he'd managed to find it out - but thankful that he'd come in for the rescue all the same.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

Thanks to everyone sticking with this one. :)

* * *

Part Eleven

As they turned the corner, Eve looked over at the man next to her, frowning slightly as she met his eyes. "What exactly do you know?" she asked him, arching a brow as she spoke, and the man stopped walking, turning to look at the diva.

"I know that you didn't really catch a ride with Punk last night and that he didn't need to give you back your phone because there's no way you could have left it in his car. You know, seeing as you were riding with Kofi instead," he told her, then sighed, apparently able to read the alarm on her face at his words. "I didn't tell Brie and Nikki. They still think you rode with Punk last night... and they know that you rode with him today."

Eve shifted uncomfortably. "Are you going to tell them?"

"Not planning on it." He gave her a look. "What do you know? I mean about me and-"

"Brie?" she finished for him. "Just that you're apparently dating. She hasn't given me any details yet, though she did make sure to let me know she'd tell me all about it," Eve said, smiling at the look on Daniel's face at that. Shrugging slightly, her face slipped back to a more serious expression. "You really won't tell them what you saw?"

"What? That I know you rode with Kofi instead of Punk last night? I can keep that quiet. I figure it's harmless enough, though I am curious as to why Punk felt the need to lie in order to find you," Daniel told her, then sighed. "Look, Eve... I don't know what's going on. I want you to know that. I talked to CM Punk earlier, but all he told me was that he was helping you out with something and that he would make sure you were okay. He said I don't get anything else unless you okay it," the man said, and Eve couldn't help but smile slightly at that. Not about Punk withholding information or anything... Just that... He was letting her decide who knew what. He hadn't even told a man that Eve knew darned good and well was one of Punk's best friends - and had been for a long time - what was going on. It meant something to her.

The diva pressed her lips together, glancing in the direction that they'd just come from. "Why did you come up to me just now? When I was talking to Zack?" she wanted to know, and Daniel shrugged.

"Because I saw the 'please help me' look that you sent to Kelly and that she completely ignored. I think Kaitlyn knew you didn't want to be left alone with Zack, though. Is that why you ended up riding to the show with Punk today, too? Did Zack come up and try to bug you and he helped you out?" Daniel asked, and Eve thought about just letting him believe that, but... She just couldn't. From what she'd seen of Daniel Bryan, he was one of the good guys. He'd always treated her with respect, and he was one of Punk's best friends. On top of that, the man was apparently dating Brie Bella who, despite her penchant for gossip, was one of Eve's best friends...

"It wasn't Zack. It was... I was in the lobby finishing up checking out and planning to wait for... Well, apparently, you and Brie and Nikki and Dolph. And, uh... Cena showed up."

"John Cena? Is he bothering you? Eve-"

"It's... Punk showed up, and he told John that I was already riding with him. So I did. I texted Nikki and told her that I was riding with Punk. Which I did. And that's... That's everything."

"Somehow I doubt that, but I get it if you don't want to tell me what 'everything' really is," Daniel said. "However, I'm guessing that whatever Punk needed to talk to you about last night... Whatever it was, it had something to do with Cena or Zack or both of them." He shrugged. "I'm not asking for details. I just want you to know... If you need help-"

"I can handle things. I mean... Punk and I can handle..." The diva heaved out a sigh, looking Daniel Bryan in the eye. "I'm not... It's not that I don't trust you. I just don't want you to have to lie to Brie, and I'm not ready for her or Nikki to know the truth. If you can understand that..."

"I do. And I think it's nice that you don't want me to have to lie to Brie to keep your secrets."

"Well, you're already not telling her that Punk lied to Nikki last night about me riding with him. By not telling them that I actually rode with Kofi."

"As I said... I figure that one's pretty harmless. I'll just pretend I never saw you getting into Kofi's car. It's not a big deal," the man said, then paused, frowning as he looked down the hallway. After a moment, he cleared his throat. "So... How likely do you think it is that Zack Ryder will try to verify that Brie and I went out with you and Punk tonight?"

Eve flinched slightly, thinking of the bet. She knew how competitive John Cena could be, and it seemed that Zack Ryder was as well. She'd heard the two jerks talking early that morning, and she knew all too well that they were both probably going to pull out all the stops in order to be the one to cash in on the bet. That meant keeping an eye on anyone that he thought would be competition. Not just Cena - the bastard that was actually involved in the bet with him - but any other guy that she might have an interest in instead. And after Cena had seen her leave with Punk this morning and what Daniel had just said to Zack about her and Punk going out with him and Brie... "I wouldn't put it past him," the diva finally said, speaking softly, and Daniel nodded his head.

"I figured as much. Which means that the four of us really do need to do something... Maybe Nikki and Dolph, too. Which means that I need to go and find Punk and let him know."

Eve nodded. "Right. And I need to go and tell Brie that you invited me and Punk to hang out with the two of you. Which will just make her all that more sure..."

"I'm sorry."

The diva shook her head. "Don't be. You helped me out tonight. And hanging out with you and Brie and Punk will be fun," she said, and he nodded.

"Come on," he told her, offering her his arm again, and Eve frowned.

"I thought you needed to track down Punk."

"I do. But first... I really am going to walk you to the divas' locker room," he said, and Eve grinned at him.

"Such a gentleman."

"Well, I try."


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

* * *

Part Twelve

After dropping Eve off at the front of the divas' locker room, knowing she wouldn't be bothered by Ryder or Cena once she was there (no guy in the WWE was stupid enough to attempt to enter that particular room), Daniel Bryan had set off in search of CM Punk, figuring he had to find his friend before Zack Ryder did. After all, if Eve thought that Ryder might try to verify whether she actually went out with Punk and him and Brie tonight, then he figured the guy would just as likely track Punk down himself and ask the man if it was true... Which meant that Daniel had to make sure that if CM Punk was asked the question, he knew the correct answer was 'yes'.

Turning the corner, he quickly saw his friend, lengthening his stride as he walked over to him. "So, Punk, you have any plans after the show tonight?" he asked as he got closer, and his friend glanced over at him, still in mid-stretch as he prepared for his match later tonight against Dolph Ziggler.

Punk arched a brow at him. "Why? You planning to ask me out?" he questioned, smirking and going back to his stretching when that response earned a roll of the eyes from Daniel.

"Oh, please. Like you're my type," the other man returned, then sighed. "I might have implied to Zack Ryder that you and Eve were going out with me and Brie later tonight," he admitted, still eyeing his friend, easily noting the stiffening of Punk's shoulders at his words. Well, not really at his words... More at the simple mention of Zack Ryder's name. Yeah, something was definitely going on there. Not that he was surprised; Eve had more or less admitted that despite not giving him any actual details. Clearly, whatever was going on, Punk *did* have all the details.

CM Punk stopped stretching, instead standing up straight and looking over at him. "What exactly happened?"

Bryan shrugged. "I was talking to AJ about her spots for my match with Show tonight, and I saw Zack approaching Eve. She was sending off 'don't leave me with this guy' vibes, which Kaitlyn seemed to pick up on, but Kelly didn't, so she dragged Kaitlyn off. Eve definitely didn't look happy, so I went over and... The whole 'double date' thing was the first thing I could think of, and it just popped out of my mouth. And Eve kind of figures that Zack might try and check to see if the four of us really did go out tonight, so-"

"Yeah, I'm in," Punk said, nodding. "And she's right, he probably would check." The WWE champion pursed his lips slightly, looking at him, then sighed. "How much do you know?" he asked, and since Punk hadn't given him any details earlier, Daniel knew that what the other man was really asking was more along the lines of 'what did Eve tell you'.

"Not much. Eve doesn't want me to have to lie to Brie and, whatever is going on, she's not ready for Brie and Nikki to know right now. Not yet anyway. And speaking of Nikki... While playing her part back there, Eve asked if Nikki and Ziggler were going out with us, too. I said I didn't know."

"I can talk to Ziggler before our match. I figure if Brie's involved in this thing, then Nikki will be, too."

Daniel smiled slightly. "She would hate to be left out."

"And they both already think that there's something going on between me and Eve anyway, so... Just more ammunition for it," Punk mused, though he didn't seem upset about it. In fact, he seemed kind of... satisfied. It made Daniel wonder all the more what was actually going on... But he understood why Eve hadn't really given him any details. It wasn't really any of his business. Even so...

"Before, you said that you and Eve could handle this. That you'd make sure that she was okay."

"I did."

"You sure you're not going to need help?" Daniel asked, and Punk sighed.

"I... Whatever you or Brie or Nikki know, it's going to be up to Eve. That's all I can say, man. It's her thing, so it's up to her."

"I get that. I just... I know Cena came up to her earlier and that's why she rode with you today. She told me that much. Then I saw Zack bugging her and... You know the rumors that they're about to start a story line with them. Zack's going to be hitting on Eve and best buds with Cena, and they're going to end up dragged into John's problems with Kane or whatever-"

"I know. And don't think I'm not worried about it," Punk replied, then sighed. "If I could find a way to fix that, I would. I keep telling myself that at least Kane's going to be around, and we all know he's a good guy." The WWE champion smirked slightly. "There's a reason he ends up working with the women in the company so often, you know. They all like him because he's actually honestly a nice guy to them and doesn't hit on them."

Daniel nodded slightly at that; he'd seen enough to know that Kane tended to act more like a big brother to the divas than anything else. Which was good for Eve if Cena and Ryder were bugging her. But still... "Maybe they'll come up with something else instead," he mused, and Punk made a face.

"Not if Cena wants to work with her, they won't," the man said, his tone making his distaste clear, and Daniel found himself wondering once again exactly what was going on. Understanding why he wasn't being told didn't change the fact that he was curious.

"Cena does seem to get what he wants, doesn't he?"

"He won't this time," Punk muttered, then looked over at him, visibly trying to calm himself. When he spoke again, his tone was casual, even if the look in his eyes said he was still angry about something. "So, did you and Eve decide what the four of us were going to do on this date?"

"Still up for grabs. Plus, we don't know if it's the four or us or the six of us. I'm sure Nikki and Dolph will be invited. We could just go and grab something to eat. It doesn't matter. We just need to make sure to actually go out and do something. Even if it is just for appearances in case Ryder tries to check it out," the man said, eyeing his friend as he spoke, wondering a little about the look on Punk's face... and whether or not this 'double date' was really just for appearances... or maybe if it was for something more. Because he couldn't shake the feeling that whatever Punk was doing, he was doing it for reasons besides just helping a friend.

Unaware of his friend's musings, CM Punk sighed. "We'll figure out something to do," he said, and Daniel nodded.

"I'm sure we will."


	13. Chapter 13

disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

* * *

Part Thirteen

Eve stepped out of the shower, quickly wrapping a towel around her body, her shower shoes - a pair of flip-flops, in all actuality - squeaking slightly as she made her way out of the shower room, the diva still trying to figure out exactly how to broach the whole 'double date' - or potentially 'triple date' if Nikki and Dolph went along as well - with Brie Bella. Nikki and Brie already thought there was something going on between her and Punk, and this little tidbit would just make them more sure of it. Which, really... Wasn't exactly horrible. Because truth be told, she trusted CM Punk more than she trusted just about any other guy in the company right now and, if people thought she was going out with him, then it meant no one would really think anything of it if she distanced herself from Cena and Ryder. But still, the idea of asking someone to be her fake boyfriend - even if he had offered - just reeked of a bad romantic comedy or something out of junior high or something. Not something she wanted to be involved in, right? Of course... A bet about who could sleep with her first was something out of a crappy movie or some slimy high school jock-type thing, too. Or maybe even a bad WWE story line.

And yet... It was her life right now.

"You okay?"

The pretty diva looked up at the sound of the voice, easily able to tell that it was Brie Bella standing next to her. Of course, she knew the twins well enough that she would have known it was Brie even if she hadn't caught a glimpse of the woman's tattoos as she'd adjusted her sweater.

Eve shrugged her shoulders. "Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, slipping her panties on beneath her towel, then reaching for the rest of her clothes.

Brie heaved out a sigh. "Oh, I don't know... Maybe because Nikki caught a glimpse of Daniel outside the locker room when you walked in, meaning I think he walked you here... And I also know that Kelly was squealing about how Zack was coming up to you and how Kaitlyn was too obtuse to know to leave you with him so you could have a moment with him... And Kaitlyn looked like she was pretty sure you wanted the opposite."

"Well, Kaitlyn is a very astute individual," Eve muttered as she yanked her sweater on over her head, the motion pulling the clip from her hair, sending the long locks tumbling down her back.

Brie frowned at her. "Is Zack bugging you? Because if so, I'm sure that Punk would be more than happy to set him straight," the woman said, and Eve snorted in response. If only Brie knew how true that really was... But not because she and Punk were hot for each other, or whatever Brie seemed to think. It was just because CM Punk was actually a decent guy that knew that Zack - and Cena as well - were total dickhead losers that had made a bet about sleeping with her.

Eve shrugged her shoulders before quickly buttoning and zipping her jeans, then sitting on the bench to put on her socks and boots, tossing her flip-flops into a plastic bag to keep them from getting water in her duffel bag, then tossing them in. "He's a little pushy. Thinks I have an interest, which I don't."

"Which Kelly obviously doesn't get," the older woman said, rolling her eyes as she sat down next to Eve on the bench. A quick glance in the direction of the blonde's locker made it clear that she wasn't paying any attention to them; the young diva appeared to be deep into a giggling conversation with Alicia Fox. Brie shook her head. "They look like a couple of seventh graders or something over there."

"They make me feel old sometimes," Eve replied. The truth was, despite the fact that she was less than three years older than girls like Kelly and Alicia, sometimes she felt like she was a decade or more older than them in terms of maturity. Not that they were bad, they just sometimes seemed so... young.

"I know. Me, too... But back to the point... What's up with everything? I mean, Zack approached, Kelly drags off Kaitlyn so the - unwanted - flirting can commence, then you show up here with my boyfriend. Inquiring minds and all of that."

"Well, as it turns out, your boyfriend is a wonderful human being who kind of sort of rescued me from the tremendously bad and unwanted flirting of one Zack Ryder," Eve said, suddenly relieved that Nikki had seen Daniel drop her off at the locker room - and had told Brie about it - because it totally made bringing up the whole 'date' thing a lot easier because it was going to be so much easier to drop into the conversation now. Smiling slightly, she looked over at Brie. "Of course, he did bring up a whole 'nother issue in the process..."

"And what would that be?"

Eve arched a brow at her friend. "Just how much did you and Nikki talk about your suspicions about me and Punk today?" she asked, purposely putting a teasing note to her voice. For her part, Brie had the grace to look a little guilty. Not a lot guilty, but at least a little. A *very* little, given the twinkle Eve could see in her friend's eye.

"Some. Maybe. Or maybe more than some."

"Well, apparently, in the course of attempting to get Zack to leave me alone, the first thing your dear boyfriend thought of was to ask if Punk and I were still going out with you and him tonight," Eve said, giving Brie a look of exasperation that was entirely feigned.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, and since I want nothing to do with Zack or his flirting, I went along with it and even asked if Nikki and Ziggler were going, too. And now... We need to actually do something. At least the four of us. In case..."

"Zack's really that stalker-like that he'd check on something like that? Yikes. 'Cause that's... Kind of creep factor territory, Eve."

"I don't know that he... It would just be worse if he found out we lied," the diva said after a moment, and Brie nodded, her expression thoughtful.

"Probably true. Plus, if he thinks that there's something going on between you and CM Punk, he'll probably leave you alone," the woman said, and Eve spent a brief moment being thankful that Brie was being mature about this... Until the woman sent a grin her way. "Of course, there's always the distinct possibility that there really *is* something going on between you and Punk-"

"Brie?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

Thanks to all that have reviewed/favorited/followed this one.

* * *

Part Fourteen

"Bowling."

"That's what I said," Eve replied as she stood in front of the WWE champion, the diva fighting the urge to smile at the somewhat incredulous look that was on the man's face. After a moment, CM Punk gave a slight smile, then stepped forward, putting his hands on Eve's hips. The gesture was done completely casually, but Eve had the feeling it was really anything but casual... A quick glance to the side - careful to use only her peripheral vision and not turn her head - let her know that the action did have a purpose. Though she couldn't see him clearly, the way-too-bright shirt she could sort-of see coming down the hallway told her that John Cena was likely approaching. And while she'd never said officially that the best way to get Zack and John to leave her alone would be to pretend to date Punk, well... It seemed that was what they were easing toward anyway, what with the faux double date tonight and all of that. Well, triple date, actually, since Nikki had insisted that she and Dolph were coming as well.

Punk shrugged. "Well, aside from the fact that bowling shoes are generally considered totally unsexy-"

"You're such a dork," Eve broke in with a shake of her head, pushing lightly at his chest as she spoke. She shrugged as Punk's hands tightened slightly on her hips, keeping her close to him. "It was Brie's idea, actually. She thought it would be fun and not too weird. Also, she'd demanding that it be men against women, which means... Your official teammates are Daniel and Dolph."

He arched a brow at her. "Think we can convince Nikki and Brie to trade you for Dolph on the teams?" he asked, and Eve let out a laugh.

"I doubt it. I'm a kick-ass bowler, and they both know it," she replied, trying to ignore the fact that she was pretty sure that Cena had stopped in the hallway and was now staring at her and Punk. She felt a little like she was on display, but she also knew that, if Cena and Zack were to be dissuaded from coming after her for their stupid bet - just the thought of it nearly made her hands clench into fists - then they had to have reasons why they should abort the mission. Her being more than friends with the WWE champion was probably one of the few things that could make them call it off. And even then? It would probably take awhile to totally discourage them.

"Oh really? Is that overconfidence, you trying to psych me out, or... Are you really that good?"

"I'm the best," Eve told him, knowing she sounded a bit flirtatious as she spoke, but also knowing that was the point. It wouldn't do any good at all if they weren't convinced that she was interested in Punk... And apparently, without ever actually saying more than that she would think about it, well... It seemed that pretending to date CM Punk seemed to be the option she was going with when it came to getting Zack and John to leave her alone. Of course, that had become the best option several hours before, right around the time Punk had rescued her from Cena with a lie about her riding with him... A lie that had quickly become the truth when Eve had told the Bellas she'd be riding with the WWE champion instead of them. And now that lie had sort of expanded into apparently something going on between her and Punk... And since Eve was pretty sure there was no way she was going to convince people otherwise any longer, well... Maybe she should just go with the flow and all of that.

"Hey, Eve-"

"Aw, aren't you two *so* cute together," a cheerful voice interrupted before Eve could even begin to wonder what John Cena had been planning to say to her when he spoke her name, and the brunette chose to ignore the West Newbury native as she turned her head instead to look at Nikki Bella, who was making her way down the same hallway that Cena was standing in. Shooting the man a droll look that Eve was sure would be much nastier if Nikki had a clue what was really going on, the Bella twin brushed past Cena with little more than that look as she came over to where Punk and Eve were standing, the diva smirking as she took in the way Punk's hands were at Eve's waist, still resting on her hips.

"Up yours, Nikki," Eve retorted, and Punk gave her a look.

"I'm going to have to get you to tell me how you do that," he said, and the diva frowned slightly.

"Do what?"

"Instantly know which twin is which... Pretty much upon seeing them. And you're always right."

"Well, I'm awesome. And quite possibly psychic," Eve replied before taking a step back from Punk, blinking in surprise when he reached out to take her bag from her, though the diva didn't fight it. If he wanted to make with the charade and add to it by being a gentleman and carrying her things for her, well... That was one move that she wasn't going to fight.

"Psychic, huh? Then tell me what I'm thinking," he told her, and Nikki rolled her eyes at that, the diva moving closer to them.

"Probably something dirty and kinky and wrong. Or maybe that's just me. Whatever," the woman said, then looked at the two of them. "Okay... So we're heading toward a bowling alley that is a few miles from here, about halfway between the arena and the hotel that I know we're all staying in." She smirked. "Though I'm going to be a good girl and refrain from asking what the rooming situation is for the two of you."

"I room with Kelly," Eve said before she could stop herself, and Nikki smirked at her.

"Of course you do. On paper, maybe. But we both know that she rarely ever actually sleeps in that room, which means... Well, whatever. Me and Dolph and Brie and Daniel will meet the two of you at the bowling alley, where the women will beat the men's asses at bowling, the men will drown their sorrows in beer and... whatever nonalcoholic thing Punk decides to drink... and the women will rub it in their faces before gossiping about them. See you there! Text me if you can't find it," the diva declared, smiling and waving at them both before heading on her way, and Eve slanted a look Punk's way as Nikki walked off.

"You know... We don't actually have to-"

"We'd never hear the end of it. Especially considering what Nikki and Brie would decide we were doing instead if we didn't meet up with them. So. I'm in if you are," he told her, and Eve sent a quick sideways look at Cena - who was definitely glaring at them both - before giving a decisive nod and smiling at Punk.

"Trust me. I'm definitely in."


End file.
